Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

orca

/ˈoɹkə/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.93 in modern English

Syllables: or-ca
IPA: /ˈoɹkə/

6

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

2

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A sea mammal (Orcinus orca) related to dolphins and porpoises, commonly called the killer whale.

Example Sentences

"In the summer, when the weather is calm and beautiful, large flocks of orcæ can be seen approaching the shallow places near the shore, or between the numerous islands of the White Sea. Several fishermen associate for hunting orcæ, each one furnishing a boat, and a large seine made of cords of the thickness of a finger, the meshes being 10½ inches square."

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin orca (“tun, cask; whale”), see there for more. Although the origin is obscure, the sometimes-cited association with orcus (“underworld”) is folk-etymology. Doublet of orc.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈoɹkə/
British English: /ˈɔːkə/

Inflected Forms

orcas (plural)

Derived Forms

orcalike

Phrases

Southern resident orca

Frequently Paired Words

ork orc

Synonyms

blackfish grampus killer killer whale orc sea wolf orcinus orca

Rhymes With

majorca gorka minorca sorcha hovorka

Questions

How do you pronounce orca?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈoɹkə/.
What does orca mean?: A sea mammal (Orcinus orca) related to dolphins and porpoises, commonly called the killer whale.
Where does orca come from?: Learned borrowing from Latin orca (“tun, cask; whale”), see there for more. Although the origin is obscure, the sometimes-cited association with orcus (“underworld”) is folk-etymology. Doublet of orc.

How to pronounce orca

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “orca”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈoɹkə/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “orca”.
Repeat and practice — Say “orca” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.